Jinxed
by MerryWeathers
Summary: Nancy has wanted nothing but that 'plain little band of gold' that all her friends seem to be getting. Robert Phillips seems a likely candidate for her 'Prince'; but is their relationship really destined to succeed, or is she cursed to live without?


_Hallo, everyone. As you can see...most of my stories are Wicked-related. And as you can also see, this is an Enchanted Fiction. Why? Well...It is a long story involving many long, long nights with my 'impromptu' beta, and much, much nagging for something OTHER than Wickedness for the change. We both went to see Enchanted when it came back out in November; both loved in (and NOT just because Idina Menzel was in it, or that two very, very nice looking men both ended up in very, very tight pants...well...yeah...for me...bonus.) It got to the point that I actually went out and read kid books, and now, am official snagged back in by the Disney corporation after weaning myself off it for a good many years._

_After months of boredom, numerous 'chuck it in the garbage-worthy' chapters- I actually -le gasp- have a story finished! Yes, really, really finished! Now, if I post it all depends on you nice folks- If you like my story, and want to know more...there's a pretty little button down there that allows you to review- that's a fancy, possibly french way of telling yah to give feedback on my writing. You like, review. You don't like, review. You could care less, review. There's a pattern here, see._

_And to anyone who reads my Wicked Fanfiction of well- Apart at the Seams WILL be continued; Nancy and Elphie simply got into a mental fight for my musedom, and...I dunno...Nancy was able to tie our lovely green witch up with a tape measure for a little while. I'll try to update both stories within the week._

_Lastly...my information comes alternatively from the Movie, the small little book thingy of Enchanted that I keep checking out from my Library, and the random knowledge I have of NYC. If I screw anything up, PLEASE tell me! Also, be warned that if I find something I've screwed up on, I shall change it pronto. So far...I'm iffy as to the TRUE location of Nancy's studio...so the street may change once I re-locate my extra information on that little part. Yu have been warned. _

**Chapter 1 : Always a Bridesmaid **

"I now pronounce you, man and wife!"

The church rang with tumultuous cheers, confetti in varying shades of pink and white showered the air, falling on the heads of the 'small group' - a few hundred close friends and family of the bride and groom- and littering the church floor in a very hazardous way. At the front of the church, the newlyweds kissed, lingering on each other's lips tenderly, then slowly, intensifying.

Of course, from Nancy's point of view, she couldn't help but think the two looked like they were trying to suck out each other's tongues. It was, well...too over the top. People in love- real love- did not kiss like they were wrestling for their right to breathe; at least, not while they were in public. Judy and Todd were rather practiced at this type of kissing though; not that nobody besides herself and the abashed bride's parents knew that that slight lump in the front of her friend's dress was nothing more than excess fabric.

"When the hell can we get out of here, again?" Beside her, April sighed, clearly bored with the whole wedding ordeal. From the clashing, miniature purse slung against the side of her dress, she was pulling out a pack of smokes. " I'm supposed to be meeting Daryl and six, and I'm sure not showing up in this."

" There's only the pictures left, that won't take longer than fifteen minutes." May, on her other side, moaned in an equally bored tone. " Not that I want to be in any photo's - as if I want any evidence that I ever wore something like this; I mean, come on, does getting married mean you go colorblind?!"

"You knew pink was her favorite color; you were adequately warned." Nancy sighed, though she wasn't too keen with her own Velor-And-Gum-Pink-Monstrosity of a dress; and was determined it would get 'lost' as soon as she got back to the apartment, along with any photographic evidence she could get her hands on. " Just smile and be happy or Judy'll have our heads- And can you not wait until you are outside, April, this is a house of god!"

"If it bothered him, he wouldn't have let me get started in the first place." April huffed, taking a deep suck of her freshly lit smoke. " Now, could ya stand back in front of me, please; Don't want our earthly father here giving me another sermon."

But they didn't need to worry about the Priest bothering them, as the happy couple had come up for air moments before, and as Todd was flashing smiles at his mother and thumbs up at his best man, Judy was gravitating towards them.

"Oh my gosh, guys! I'm finally married!" Judy was shrill and squeaky (and slightly breathy). It was good to see that in a woman who'd been standing, pretty much, for a hour and a half of sermon; but it was rather painful to Nancy's ears, who had also spent her time standing in ill-fitting (pink) shoes, and right next to the overly-powerful organ. "I'm so excited, It was wonderful, wasn't it!"

Having been to seven of these in the past three years, Nancy knew what to expect next- much like the five stages of death. First, they're was screechy happiness. Then, the teary 'thanks for sharing our special day'...

"I...I'm just...Oh, I promised myself I wasn't going to cry..." Judy sniffed hard, dabbing her eyes uncouthly with a piece of her veil. "...thank you so much for being...being here...for me and Todd..."

And lastly, of course...

" And next time it will be your wedding we all get to go to!"

That comment was always directed at her, she knew, although her name was never mentioned aloud. But she was the only one who wasn't married, or in a steady relationship. Even Ruth and Victoria had found happiness after years of floating around (and yes, it still counted if it was with each other). Nancy was officially the last, single friend- the one most in risk of becoming a crazy cat lady, or just a non-feline-loving spinster.

"Oh, you're coming to the reception, right; Alan can come too, if he wants."

"Nah," Nancy shrugged. " I've got to get home, I have a meeting in the morning about that studio on 34th I wanted to rent." She sighed, as if upset that she couldn't come. " Besides, Alan's out of town visiting his sister."

She pointedly ignored May and April's sceptically looks. Judy's crestfallen one, however, could not be ignored.

"Call me from Cancun tomorrow, alright- you've got Todd now to pay all your long distance now, remember?"

That did seem to appeal to Judy- but then again, the idea of a good, long talk always seemed to.

"Smile for the camera, ladies!" The photographer- a balding middle-aged man who was most certainly going to get knocked out by someone in the wedding party before the night was up cried; encouraging Judy to grab Nancy roughly around the shoulders in a highly awkward pose, while the other two peered out from behind Nancy's tall frame and Judy's wide skirt.

Lucky bastards. Nancy thought venomously, as she struggled into her best 100-watt, forced smile.

**/-E-/ **

"Shit shit SHIT!" Unceremoniously, Nancy flopped down on an old, yet comfortable couch her mother had bought at auction for her once she'd made the decision to move out on her own, hissing and swearing in pain that shot up her ankle from being in the damnable shoes for half of the day. Looking down at them, she could see the telltale red lines where the straps had dug into her flesh, and felt the areas where they would form into even worse blisters over the next few hours. She made an executive decision right there- flats were now her ultimate footwear; nothing above an inch above the floor. Jesus...she may need therapy to be able to touch her heels to the ground again.

There was something about her own apartment, though, that was comforting. She could do what they wanted; after all; nobody could gouge her for walking around barefoot, with a towel rapped around wet hair and slight, whitish remainders of not-quite-blended facial cream. Control was not needed here; and Nancy was aloud to let go with whatever chaotic order she was please with.

And so far, there was not a feline in sight; so although she was constantly remind of her chronically single condition, she could almost forget about it here. Almost.

The fact was though, that it was now a early Friday evening, and all her night seemed to promise was sitting on that very couch, watching late-night television while nursing her injured feet. Charming...not so much.

Of course, Alan had to pick this weekend to go away on a visit. Just like he'd done the weekend before, and the weekend before that. He was never around when she wanted some them time.

Looking around for the remote, Nancy instead noticed the unmistakable blinking red light of her answering machine, alerting her to the fact that someone had called either while she was at the church- as she hadn't checked it when she'd gotten in -or while she was in the shower, removing four cans worth of hair spray from her bridesmaid 'do.

In fact, it wasn't just one message. Too tired, sore, and generally lacking much interest for anything at the moment, she groped around for the play button rather than shifting her spot anymore to find it properly.

**_" You have Three messages. "_** A unisex, mechanized voice told her. **_" Message one, played back. Beep!"_**

_" Hey, Nan..."_

Much reminiscent of a dog, Nancy perked up on the couch, at the familiar, husky voice of Alan as it crackled through the Machine's speaker. Did he come back early - did he want to get together?! She envisioned a new night for herself- one involving her and Alan and one of the better restaurants down in Little Italy...before Alan's voice mail cut her off again.

_" Listen, babe, sorry we couldn't get together this weekend."_

As fast as she had lifted up, she wilted back down again in disappointment.

_"But, you know...my sister is really sick, and..."_

On the message, someone giggled. Someone indefinitely female. Maybe his sister was making a rather quick recovery.

_" And I don't know if I'll be back before next week, now..."_

Another giggle, and someone shifted on the other line, groaning and creaking as if turning on a rather rusty bedspring mattress.

_"But I'll be back as soon as I can, alright? Love ya!"_

The message clicked off, and Nancy stifled the urge to rip open the throw pillows she was currently resting on. Instead, she took a deep breath, let it out, and then chucked said pillow at the answering machine, knocking it halfway across the glass end table where it clicked against the lamp uselessly, repeating to her that it was now going to play message two.

She should have known, though- she'd even seem family photos- and there wasn't a sister in one of them. Why was she always so...stupid?!

_"Hello, Miss Tremaine, this is Mrs. Jonstones offices calling to confirm that you have a meeting with us at ten tomorrow..."_ A secretarial voice droned professionally across the room, unawares that the person the message was for was paying it not attention whatsoever, in favor of thinking black thoughts about a boyfriend...or rather, ex-boyfriend.

The finale message blinked out, and the third, once more, got her attention with another familiar, warm voice.

_"Hello, Princess..."_

"Daddy?" Yes, Nancy still used the derogative, babyish term for her father. Seeing as he still referred to her as, His Princess, though, she hardly bothered with how she was snickered, or received looks from fellow adults when she referred to her Brooklyn-native parents in this fashion. Her father and mother called once a week, to see how she was doing, and to make sure she was still eating properly.

_"It seems your out, or else you're ignoring me...which I hope you arn't...but, you know, you never did quite go through that rebellious teenage stage. Either way...please...just..."_ Here, Marcus Tremaine paused and sighed...worring Nancy a little. Her father was the jovial type- always knew what he wanted to say before he said it to...He didn't sigh...and sighing made him sound...tired...old.

_"Nancy...there's a...well...you're mother an I...have been having some...problems..."_

Now, she was halfway over to the phone, ready to pick it up and start badgering questions, before she realized her father was not on the other line, at that it was only a message.

_"We've been thinking...or rather...well...we'd...I'd...like you to come with me tomorrow afternoon to meet with my Lawyer..."_

**_Shit._** Lawyers never meant anything good. You didn't meet with lawyers for 'I spilled coffee on your mother's rug and she used my credit card to get the entire house maid serviced'. At least, not for her parents, it didn't.

_"I can pick you up...just...be home around four to wait for me, alright...we'd...I'd really like you to be there. Oh, and Princess...good luck at your meeting tomorrow morning."_ The Phone's obvious click seemed to hang in the air of the empty apartment, dulling away into silence as Nancy sat, frozen save for a grope for the tossed pillow's twin that still sat beside her. Her mind, however, didn't. nor couldn't, seem to shut up.

Lawyers. She didn't know her father even had a lawyer, let alone would need one. But he needed one. And, apparently, it was because of mom. Could something had happened to her- god, someone could have broken into the house, while he was at work, and mom was at home...but then, wouldn't there have been something on the news- she listened to it all the way home in her car, and all she had gleamed from the jockey's prattle that there had yet again been a rash of purse snatchings in Central Park, and some lady's cat was rescued from a high-rise window by the 'brave, valiant efforts of New York's finest'. She remembered that, as she's bitterly told the radio, although it indefinitely couldn't hear her, that perhaps the purses were important than some widower's kitty.

No...Home invasions, even in New York, were big- or at least, warranted a mention on the old five o'clock. And surely, if something had happened...dad would want her to come now, than tomorrow...and...and...he would have been crying, or, or something...he loved mom...

...didn't he?

Suddenly, something left a bad taste in her mouth. Yes, just that one, stupid, insignificant little thought made her feel sick. It couldn't be true- she refused it with every little bit of her that was still a grumpy ten year old who didn't want to go to school, or wear Grandmother's ugly sweaters when visiting for Christmas. No no NO! Her parents were normal, happy people, sharing their twilight years in a fairy tale marriage, the one they had held up all throughout her childhood. They were not a statistic, There had to be another reason for a Lawyer...yes, another reason.

And yet, Nancy couldn't stop herself from clutching the pillow tighter to her chest, fighting back the dreaded sinking feeling someone gets when they know their worst fears are true, and staying like that until she fell into an uneasy sleep- not even waking when the eleven o'clock news drifted through from the apartment across the hall. But it didn't matter, for there were still no announcements of home invasions from Brooklyn...not that Nancy would have expected that any more had she been conscious.


End file.
